This invention relates to an article of footwear, especially for athletic shoes. More particularly, the invention relates to a comfortable, lightweight athletic shoe with an upper having a covering and a supporting framework for creating a tent-like structure.
Proper fitting and comfortable shoes are important for foot development and athletic performance. One function of a shoe is to support and protect the foot. To this end, a shoe, typically an athletic shoe, includes a sole to provide traction, support and cushioning. A shoe also includes an upper that is typically stitched and/or glued to the upper periphery of the sole. The upper is intended to contact and hold the foot of the wearer to the sole, to provide a tight and comfortable fit. The upper typically also has a fastening system, such as a lace and eyelets in the upper material. The ends of the lace are tied together so the upper squeezes the foot within the shoe.
Uppers are frequently constructed of leather and other materials having properties similar to leather. Leather and other similar materials may retain moisture and do not permit the foot to readily breathe. The foot may generate an excessive amount of moisture, may become hot or overheated in an upper made of leather or similar materials. When an athletic shoe is used in hot weather, the temperature and moisture within the interior space of the upper may become elevated. This problem will effect the overall comfort and the fit of the shoe for the wearer. Further, these materials are relatively heavy making them unsuitable for certain athletic shoes, such as running shoes.
The disadvantages of leather and leather-like materials for shoe upper construction led to the development of uppers constructed at least in part of various synthetic materials. Most of these synthetic materials are polymer meshes that are light and breathable. Meshes can be advantageous in athletic shoes where a lightweight shoe is important to the athlete""s performance during athletic activities, e.g., running and walking events. The mesh also allows the foot to breathe thereby keeping the foot relatively dry during athletic activities. However, the breathability of mesh materials can be improved if they are not contacting the surface of the foot or if a small portion of the material is contacting a foot.
One approach to providing air circulation to the foot is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 757,424 to Vohl. This patent discloses a lining that is placed inside of a shoe forming gaps between the lining and the upper material. The lining includes ribs fastened to the outer surface of the lining. This structure provides for air to flow within the gaps with the intent to ventilate the shoe. While Vohl has ribs fastened to the lining material, the system is used within an upper of a shoe. The lining reduces the interior space within the upper thereby undesirably reducing the shoe size and potentially causing the wearer discomfort at the skin because the foot will be rubbing or sensing the ribs within the upper. While alleging to provide increased air circulation to the foot, this lining does not appear to be suitable for a lightweight athletic shoe.
Sandals and similar footwear provide for support of the foot. These types of footwear leave the foot or at least the forefoot portion of the foot exposed. While these types of footwear provide for air circulation around the foot, because the foot is exposed, they may not provide suitable protection for the foot. The foot may be injured by debris or sunlight ultraviolet rays may damage the exposed foot. Additionally, sandals and similar type of footwear are not typically designed for athletic activities, such as running or cross-training.
Accordingly, an improved shoe upper for an article of footwear was needed to overcome the problems in the prior art.
The present invention is directed to an article of footwear having an upper in a tented arrangement to solve the problems in the prior art.
One aspect of the present invention is an article of footwear, such as an athletic shoe. The article of footwear includes a sole for engaging a ground surface and an upper including a shroud. The article of footwear further includes a foot engaging system for holding a foot of a user to the sole, and at least one frame member that urges or influences the shroud away from the foot of the user. The article of footwear further includes a plurality of straps for holding the foot to the sole in which one of the straps engages the heel. In another aspect of the present invention, straps are located on an exterior surface of the shroud in which multiple air gaps are created for cooling the foot. In another aspect of the present invention the straps are located interior of the shroud for creating a substantial air gap for air to be conveyed to the foot.
In another aspect of the present invention, the article of footwear further includes a foot bootie system for the holding the foot of a wearer. The foot bootie system includes vent openings for providing air to ventilate the foot of a wearer. Further the foot bootie system is combined with a plurality of straps for securing the foot to the sole of the shoe.
In another aspect of the present invention an article of footwear includes a tented shroud including a shroud and a frame member attached to the sole. The tented shroud covers the entire foot or a forefoot portion. In another aspect of the present invention, an upper has a flexible sheet of material that is interconnected with a plurality of frame members for tenting the flexible sheet of material.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe that achieves support for a user""s foot with a maximum amount of flexibility and breatheability with minimum weight. It is a further object of the invention to minimize the amount of the upper contacting the foot of a wearer. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a structure to ventilate the foot of a wearer.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent and fully understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, taken in connection with the appended drawings.